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Alex Griffin

@aegriffcogneuro.bsky.social

430 followers 330 following 15 posts

Second Year PhD student at Kings College London 🧑‍🔬 Interested in PDA, autism and cognition 🧠 #actuallyautistic #audhd Non-binary scientist (they/them) On other things @aegriffcogneuro(@mastodon.world) May also post about TTRPGs, the NFL 🐬 and Nintendo 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇬🇧🇺🇸

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Alex Griffin @aegriffcogneuro.bsky.social · Jun 3

🚨 New paper alert! 🚨
Larysa Zasiekina, @sjblakemore.bsky.social‬, Iryna Hlova, @bignardi.bsky.social‬ and I investigated the prevalence of PTSD in adolescents who have experienced war.
Our systematic review and meta-analysis is linked below, but read on for highlights… 🧵
doi.org/10.1080/2000...

Prevalence of war-related posttraumatic stress disorder in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder is common in civilians who are currently experiencing, or who have experienced, war. Most previous studies have focused on adult populations and, despite t...

doi.org

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Alex Griffin @aegriffcogneuro.bsky.social · 9d

New academic year = more wonderful ARCH talks!
Really looking forward to hearing about this interesting and valuable work. Come along if you can, and also get in touch if you have some work you'd like to share with us too 👀

Re:Spect Lab KCL @respectlabkcl.bsky.social · 9d

📣The ARCH seminar is back!
Join us on October 22nd to hear from Nell Fahey (with introduction from Dr Gavin Stewart) about their work on the social experiences of middle-aged and older autistic adults.
More info on our mailout - sign up and get tickets @ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/arch-semin...

This is a poster advertising the ARCH (or Autism Research) Seminar Series. This talk takes place on the 22nd of October, 2025, at 2pm on Zoom. The talk is being given by Nell Fahey, who uses she and her pronouns, and is an MSc graduate from King's College London. She is being introduced by Dr Gavin Stewart, who uses he and him pronouns, and is a senior research fellow at King's College London. The talk title is "Exploring the Social Experiences of Autistic Adults in Midlife and Old Age: a co-produced qualitative study". The abstract reads "Being connected to other people and having good access to social support are often linked to a better quality of life as we get older. However, autistic people often experience barriers to being socially connected. Our co-produced study set out to explore the social experiences of middle-aged and older autistic adults, with a particular focus on the types of social connections they would like as they age. We interviewed 33 autistic people in midlife and old age and conducted a reflexive thematic analysis of their responses. Our findings highlighted the varying impact that ageing can have on people’s social experiences and suggest that social motivations and barriers to social interaction may differ for autistic adults in midlife compared with those in old age. In this talk, we will describe our co-production process and highlight these key findings and what they mean for autistic people."

Reposted by Alex Griffin

Lily Smythe @lilysmythe.bsky.social · Aug 11

🧠 New study at KCL looking for volunteers with both #FND and #Autism to take part in an interview sharing your experiences!

- 15 minute survey followed by a 1 hour interview

Interested?
✉️ Please message me: [email protected]

Thanks for sharing!

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Reposted by Alex Griffin

Re:Spect Lab KCL @respectlabkcl.bsky.social · Jul 1

🚨 TODAY! 🚨

Eunhee Kim, a PhD student from Bournemouth University, is presenting her research on health and wellbeing in menopause in autistic and non-autistic people. This is our last talk of the academic year: we hope to see you there!

Tickets can be found at: t.co/K5ZlvIs5YS

This is a poster advertising the Autism Research Seminar Series, or ARCH. The talk takes place on the first of July, 2025, at 2pm on Zoom. The talk speaker is Eunhee Kim, a PhD student from Bournemouth university. The talk title is: Understanding health and wellbeing during menopause: A longitudinal comparison study between autistic and non-autistic people. The abstract is: We examined whether menopause representations (thoughts, beliefs and feelings about menopause) are associated with menopausal symptoms, quality of life and mental health in autistic and non-autistic people over one month. We found that autistic participants consistently showed negative menopause representations, which predicted more severe symptoms (menopausal, depressive, anxiety) and lower quality of life. These outcomes can contribute to improving awareness of menopause in the autistic population and developing autism-specific support for menopause.

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Alex Griffin @aegriffcogneuro.bsky.social · Jun 3

⌛ What drives the finding of increased PTSD levels over time – is all contributing trauma related to war exposure? Investigations of the specific traumatic events experienced is crucial
We hope that more work can be done so that we can better understand the needs of adolescents experiencing war!

Alex Griffin @aegriffcogneuro.bsky.social · Jun 3

What’s next?
🌐 More work needs to be done globally to understand the unique impact of war on adolescents, especially in different global contexts
🖊️ Further investigation of the differences between different PTSD measures, especially in different cultural settings and in diagnosis rates, is needed

Alex Griffin @aegriffcogneuro.bsky.social · Jun 3

📆 PTSD prevalence rates increased the longer it had been since war had ended, even after controlling for mean sample age
❌ No effects were found for mean sample age, study quality, economic index of the affected area, whether the war was ongoing or had ended, or gender (only measured in 6 studies)

Alex Griffin @aegriffcogneuro.bsky.social · Jun 3

What did we find?
✏️ Average PTSD prevalence was 29.4%, but there was huge variation between studies, ranging between ~2% and ~80%
📖 Prevalence varied by measure used for PTSD, but as each was only used a few times, it is difficult to draw concrete conclusions about the differences between measures

Alex Griffin @aegriffcogneuro.bsky.social · Jun 3

🪖 While some studies were conducted during war, studies conducted in the aftermath ranged from a couple months to ten years after war cessation
📝 Studies massively varied in their choice of tool for measuring PTSD prevalence
✅ Studies also varied in quality, with some studies not reporting key info

Alex Griffin @aegriffcogneuro.bsky.social · Jun 3

What were the studies we found like?
📚 We found 21 studies with data on prevalence of PTSD in adolescents in war
🗺️ Studies represent 12 varied locations that have experienced war
👥 Adolescent participants spanned ages 11-24, close to our current expanded definition of the adolescent period (10-24)

Alex Griffin @aegriffcogneuro.bsky.social · Jun 3

Prevalence of war-related posttraumatic stress disorder in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

doi.org

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Reposted by Alex Griffin

Duncan Astle @duncanastle.bsky.social · May 27

Funded PhD opportunity with @sjblakemore.bsky.social and I, at Cambridge. We are looking for someone interested in developmental science, to start in the coming academic year. Please share it with anyone you think might be interested (see details attached 😁).
drive.google.com/file/d/1RIvg...

Funded PhD opportunity.pdf

drive.google.com

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Reposted by Alex Griffin

Re:Spect Lab KCL @respectlabkcl.bsky.social · Apr 29

🚨May Talk Announcement!🚨
Join us on May 28th at 2PM to hear Kayleigh Doyle (@kayleighdoyle.bsky.social) discuss her PhD work looking at using the creative arts to teach autistic students.
Tickets are available at eventbrite.co.uk/e/arch-semin...
We hope to see you there!

This is a poster advertising the Autism Research Seminar Series, or ARCH. This talk is called "Creative arts-based pegagogy (CABP) with autistic students: co-producing a manifesto", and is delivered by Kayleigh Doyle, a PhD student at the University of York. The talk will take place on May 28th at 2pm on Zoom. The talk abstract reads: "In this research, I explore how autistic young people and teachers feel about using the creative arts to teach autistic students in mainstream schools, and what they perceive to be barriers and facilitators. In this talk, I will briefly touch upon the findings from two systematic reviews, before discussing the findings from two empirical studies, a teacher questionnaire and student interviews. I will finish by outlining the planned next steps, a co-production workshop with the aim to develop a co-produced "creative arts-based pedagogy manifesto"."

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Reposted by Alex Griffin

Re:Spect Lab KCL @respectlabkcl.bsky.social · Mar 26

📢April Talk Announcement 📢

Join us on April 16th to see @lomasresearch.bsky.social discuss his PhD research exploring the usefulness of Theory of Mind in pedagogy.

Tickets can be found here: eventbrite.co.uk/e/arch-semin...

We hope to see you there!

This poster is advertising the Autism Research Seminar Series, or ARCH. The talk will be given by Matthew Lomas, a PhD student at the University of Exeter. The talk will take place on April 16th, 2025, at 2pm
and on Zoom. The talk title reads "How Important is Theory of Mind to Human Pedagogy?". The talk abstract reads "The ecological dominance of humans has been often suggested as being underlined by our capacity for pedagogy (i.e. teaching), but the mechanisms the enable us to transfer knowledge effectively are not well understood. Theory of Mind (ToM, i.e. the capacity to consider the minds of others) has typically been framed as human’s “silver bullet”, however empirical research is lacking and this position is contradicted by accounts of teaching by neuro-divergent people, and studies of non-human teaching. This presentation will discuss research which seeks to evidence questions about the role of ToM in human pedagogy, using experimental designs that aim to contrast and characterise Autistic and non-Autistic approaches to teaching."

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Reposted by Alex Griffin

Alanna Shand @alannajshand.bsky.social · Mar 24

📣Recruiting autistic adults for a 20min survey📣

We're exploring how autistic people use their strengths to manage differences. Participants must:

✅Self-identify as #autistic OR have an #autism diagnosis
✅18 yrs+
✅Speak English

Take part in our #AutismResearch 👉 qualtrics.kcl.ac.uk/jfe/form/SV_...

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Reposted by Alex Griffin

Re:Spect Lab KCL @respectlabkcl.bsky.social · Mar 13

🎙️SPEAKER CHANGE!🎙️
Due to unforeseen circumstances, this month's talk will now be given by
@sophphillips32.bsky.social, and will be on her research on autistic women's experiences of higher education.
Tickets are still available through eventbrite.co.uk/e/arch-semin...
We hope to see you there!

This is a poster advertising the Autism Research Seminar Series, or ARCH. The next talk will be on the 26th of March, 2025, at 14:00 and on zoom. The speaker is Dr Sophie Phillips, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Sheffield. The title of the talk is "autistic women's experiences of higher education". The abstract is "This talk focuses on research from my PhD considering autistic women's experiences of university alongside my own experiences of postgraduate study as an autistic woman. It explores topics such as conferences and belonging".

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Reposted by Alex Griffin

Bérengère G. Digard @berengeredigard.bsky.social · Feb 28

📣 My dissertation students Freya & Lauren are doing cool intersectional research on #aphantasia / #hyperphantasia & #autism, testing a task to make it easier for people to join research online.

If you're one or several of the above (or none), please go to edin.ac/4h1ghPU or get in touch w them!

TY

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Reposted by Alex Griffin

Re:Spect Lab KCL @respectlabkcl.bsky.social · Feb 27

📣New talk announcement 📣
The next ARCH talk will be held at 2pm, March 26th, with Ashlea Cromby talking about her work on autistic communication via memes!
Tickets can be found @ t.co/K5ZlvIsDOq

The poster advertises the Autism Research (or ARCH) seminar series. This talk is taking place on the 26th of March, 2025, at 2pm, and will take place on zoom. The speaker is Ashlea Cromby, a PhD student from the University of East London. The title of the talk is "Meme-Ingful Communications". The abstract reads as follows: "This study explores how autistic individuals use internet memes to communicate and express their identities. Using a qualitative, participatory approach, data were gathered from n=31 participants across three private Facebook groups, resulting in n=436 memes and n=986 comments. Semiotic analysis revealed themes such as Social Cues, Social Burnout, and Dark Humour, highlighting how memes convey complex social experiences and emotions. The findings challenge deficit-based views of autistic communication, illustrating how memes serve as powerful tools for sharing experiences, expressing identity, and challenging stereotypes in the online space."

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Alex Griffin @aegriffcogneuro.bsky.social · Feb 13

I was meant to spend a year in Amsterdam but it was cut short due to Covid. Even so, I found that short time to be transformational. It was the first time I ever really felt "homesick, and overcoming that, and realising how a world that felt so alien became normal to me, really built my resilience.

Reposted by Alex Griffin

Dr Keith Houghton @ephoughton.bsky.social · Feb 12

This video sheds light on how autism often goes unnoticed in girls due to masking & stereotypes. Such an important, informative video

📹 Watch, share, & join the conversation

youtu.be/GVrq9EL0mzg?...

#AutismAwareness #Neurodiversity #AutisticGirls #Edpsychs #Edusky

Autistic Girls Network subtitles

YouTube video by Autistic Girls Network

youtu.be

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Reposted by Alex Griffin

Frances Ryan @francesryan.bsky.social · Jan 28

For the last 5 months, I’ve spoken to Rosy as she’s fought for care. MND means she needs a ventilator and feeding tube and yet she has been denied 24/7 carers. Rosy is now losing her voice but wants to speak out. We should all listen.

In today’s @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A reader with a terminal illness emailed in despair. What she told me should shock us all | Frances Ryan

Rosy is unable to move, breathe or eat unassisted. Yet for hours a day she is being left completely alone, says Guardian columnist Frances Ryan

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Alex Griffin

Re:Spect Lab KCL @respectlabkcl.bsky.social · Jan 27

📣February 19th! Come join us to hear about the PhD work by @ninadanon.bsky.social on musical neuroqueering.
The next ARCH talk will be held at 2pm, February 19th, and tickets can be found @ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/arch-semin...

This is a poster advertising the Autism Research (ARCH) Seminar Series. The talk is called "Composing Neurodivergence: A Musical Neuroqueering Journey", and is delivered by Nina Danon, a PhD student at Goldsmiths, University of London. The seminar will be held on the 19th of February 2025 at 2pm on Zoom. The talk abstract reads as follows:
"This talk introduces musical neuroqueering, the practice of understanding, expanding, and creating neurodivergence through music, and music through neurodivergence. By combining self-reflection with embodied musical exploration, musical neuroqueering fosters a deep understanding of individual neurocognitive styles and auditory acuities. Drawing from my practice research PhD in composition, I will delve into the creative processes of Autistic and neurodivergent musicians, and propose a practical framework to enable anyone to embark on a musical neuroqueering journey."

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Alex Griffin @aegriffcogneuro.bsky.social · Jan 22

Come join for this amazing talk! Starting very soon ✨

Re:Spect Lab KCL @respectlabkcl.bsky.social · Dec 17

📣 Join us for the next Autism ResearCH (ARCH) talk, which will be held on the 22nd of January at 1pm!
@heasutherland
will talk about her ethnographic work on communication in high support needs autistic adults in support services.
Register for free @ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/arch-semin...

This is a poster to advertise a talk by Holly E A Sutherland, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Cambridge as a part of the Autism Research, or ARCH, seminar series. The talk will take place on January 22nd 2025 at 1pm on Zoom.
The talk title is "An ethnographic exploration of cross-neurotype socialising and communication in a high support needs context". The talk abstract is "This talk presents research findings from an ethnographic study of two day-support services for autistic adults with high support needs, through a neurodiversity paradigm lens. Specifically, we will look at the social dynamics, interactions, and communication between (autistic and non-autistic) staff, the supported (autistic) people, and the (autistic) researcher – and, specifically, how mutual (mis)understandings across neurotypes influence these dynamics."

Reposted by Alex Griffin

Amy Pearson @dramypearson.bsky.social · Jan 14

Are you a supervisor wondering how to better support your neurodivergent postgrads? Go read our latest article in @timeshighered.bsky.social

www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/how-s...

How to support neurodivergent postgraduate researchers

How can universities ensure PhD students of all neurotypes can thrive? Here’s how to provide neurodiversity-affirmative supervision

www.timeshighereducation.com

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Reposted by Alex Griffin

Darío Moreno-Agostino @dmorenoagostino.bsky.social · Jan 13

📢 Job opportunity! 📢
Dr Gemma Knowles @kingsioppn.bsky.social is recruiting two 2-year full-time postdocs to join our soon-to-start project on the causes and potential solutions to gender inequalities in youth mental health! See www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/103685-... for more info on post and how to apply!

Postdoctoral Research Associates (x2) - Youth Mental Health

www.kcl.ac.uk

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